Syracuse women’s soccer limits Harvard’s biggest goal threat in 0-0 draw
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Maya Naimoli was prepared.
Over the weekend, SU head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams asked Syracuse’s goalkeeper to plan for every possible Harvard offensive combination. The gaffer admitted the Crimson had striker depth beyond their starting lineup, which already features three strikers.
But those conversations always circled back to one player. As a freshman, she isn’t Harvard’s most experienced forward. Standing 5-foot-7, she’s tied for its fourth-shortest player. But entering Sunday with a pair of goals and assists, she led the Crimson in points.
So, Brooke Huleatt’s track record looks convincing with a team-high six points while donning a coveted No. 10 red jersey. But the aftermath feeling of Naimoli thwarting her with a kick save — multiple times — can be demoralizing.
Naimoli and Syracuse’s (3-1-2, 0-0-0 Atlantic Coast) defense held Huleatt in check in Sunday’s scoreless draw with Harvard (1-2-1, 0-0-0, Ivy). The Crimson striker totaled a team-high six shots, double her season-best mark entering the day, and put half of them on goal. But Naimoli made three pivotal saves on her, and the Orange’s defenders also clogged her shot lanes in the attacking third.
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Three days after losing to Niagara at home, Syracuse women’s soccer drew against Harvard 0-0 Sunday. The Orange recorded a season-high 16 shots.
If you ask Thrasher Adams, she’ll tell you limiting Huleatt was one of the team’s biggest accomplishments Sunday. But by swarming the freshman, the Orange also accounted for the other side of the field, where midfielder Lou Ruffien resided.
“Especially on our left side, their right midfield,” Thrasher Adams said. “(Ruffien’s) fantastic, but she plays extremely high. So we were trying to put the ball into that space where she left it.”
Accounting for an amalgamation of tactical switches can be difficult, so the Orange shifted attention to their right defensive side in the second half, as Huleatt roamed the left flank. That made the first half easier for Huleatt to navigate.
It’s fitting that she notched the game’s first shot 77 seconds in. From the left, Huleatt cut in, but Bree Bridges stomped out her left foot to block it, and Naimoli scooped the ensuing touch seconds later.
Fifteen minutes later, Jasmine Meshnick booted a ground ball nearly half the length of the field to a cruising Huleatt. Syracuse’s midfielders were caught off guard. Due to the aforementioned tactical switch, defender Chloe Joseph was on Harvard’s side of the field.
That allowed Huleatt to orchestrate the attack on a Syracuse-favored three-on-two break. As the Rifton, New York, native entered the box, Kendall Mesh was breathing down her neck. But Huleatt completely fooled SU’s defender, as she lost balance and fell backward. But once again, it was Bridges who stymied Huleatt’s strike with her head.
“You got to get (Huleatt) quick,” Thrasher Adams said. “Put her head down.”
“Yeah” was all Naimoli could muster after her coach’s remark, as she shrugged her shoulders.
When presented with Huleatt’s 32nd-minute shot, like Mesh, Naimoli also slipped. There were some subtle differences, though. Naimoli finished the job, clasping the ball after a right-footed kick save. It was also the forward’s first shot on goal Sunday.
Although the Orange shifted more attention to Huleatt in the second half, she actually had the same number of shots with more on target. Eight minutes into the frame, she received the ball on SU’s side of the pitch. Huleatt took it down the field, splitting a gap between three Syracuse defenders. Naimoli made a glove save on the lefty shot, and Bridges booted it out of play.
“Coming in today, I felt good,” Naimoli said, referencing how her day off Thursday was helpful. “I was able to hit my long balls well, and it was a good day.”
The 64th minute saw tension between Naimoli and Huleatt reach its pinnacle. The Crimson’s points leader received a centering pass directly in front of the goal from Molly Vana, who also had three first-half shots. Naimoli, falling back, booted the ball with her right foot and out of play. SU’s netminder lay faceplanted on the ground, while Huleatt put her hands over her head.
With 10 minutes left, she took a touch next to the goal but decided to back out. Two minutes later, Huleatt unselfishly located Olof Kristinsdottir, who’s also scored twice this year, but the shot sailed out of bounds thanks to Jasmine Nixon’s pressure.
“With Jasmine, we put her wide, and we fixed what was in front of her,” Thrasher Adams said. “She did really well. Limited (Huleatt’s opportunities).”
With Syracuse never threatening the scoreboard in a scoreless affair in the 85th minute, Huleatt had one final chance to hand SU its second loss this season. She cut into the box from the left and misfired toward the right post.
The Orange nearly capitalized on Harvard’s shortcomings, but Vickie Jones missed an 88th-minute penalty kick, repeating the score from their season-opening draw with Villanova.
After the game, Naimoli was encircled by the press. When the session concluded, she waited about one minute before exiting Ensley Athletic Center. She picked up her phone and put it up to her ear.
Naimoli turned to her right, and there Huleatt stood. With three backpacks glued to her back and one paper bag in her right hand, she was the last player to leave the field. There weren’t any words. Neither even looked up to see the other passing. But in Naimoli’s first encounter with Huleatt, it’d be hard to ignore what transpired within that hour on the field.
“(Huleatt’s) a special player, and she’s going to get chances,” Thrasher Adams said. “For us to keep her off the board was a big deal.”
